Meck Power Six football coaches sound off on hot topics

CAMERON WILLIAMS | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Jamauri Nichols, who quarterbacked West Charlotte High advance to the North Carolina 8A West Region final in 2025, is now at Meck Power Six rival Chambers.

The Meck Power Six will again be one of North Carolina’s premier football conferences.

The 7A/8A conference, which consists of Butler, Chambers, Mallard Creek, North Mecklenburg, Independence and West Charlotte, is full of state championship aspirations, former champions and perennial powers. The conference’s coaches sat down for a roundtable discussion about the MPS, coaches pay and various other topics pertaining to the state of high school football. 

Time to pay up

Earlier this year Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools did not include coaching pay increases in the 2026-27 budget proposal. Meanwhile more than 20 CMS executives made $200,000 or more last fiscal year. 
Since 2018, coaches' stipends have remained at $5,000 annually despite North Carolina’s cost of living increasing more than 30% and 32% in Charlotte. 

“As far as leadership, in my mind, I think the coaches agree,” Mallard Creek coach Kennedy Tinsley said. “we’re leaders of our team. And so, if you’re a leader and you’re responsible for an area or a group of people, then you deserve to get paid. So, when someone brings up payment, in my mind, I don’t think it matters how much people are getting paid because we're talking about the value of kids’ futures, and if they're doing a great job, then they deserve what they deserve. I think our focus is in order for us to continue to keep what we do important, then the value of the job has to be considered more by the leadership, and that would mean pay.”

Consider Carrolton (Ga.) High, which will host West Charlotte in a non-conference game. Carrollton’s coach earns over $200,000, compared to Mecklenburg public school programs where coaches get just $5,000 on top of their teaching salary. 

“I think [out of state games] give our kids an experience,” Independence coach Robert Williams said. “We are a really good football conference. But, going down to South Carolina, seeing their amenities, their stadiums and going to places like Carrollton is going to be similar to a college football game. Those programs spend money in their programs to have that kind of experience. We are playing a South Carolina team. I think mostly everybody in [the conference] is going to have a South Carolina game. Going to these places shows that our athletes can play with anyone in the country.” 

How many classifications are too many?

Last season was the first in which North Carolina had eight divisions since 2020-21 when four classifications were split into single- and double-A based on school enrollment. Back then coaches felt some class playoff brackets were diluted by teams with losing – and sometimes winless – records advancing to the postseason. 

Some of the same issues rang true in the new 1A-8A classification with numerous first-round blowouts and byes required for some divisions’ top two or three seeds. 

“I think 8A was a little much,” North Meck coach Darryl Vereen said. “I thought maybe 6A should have been the cap, but I’m fine with it. I think it gives a lot more teams an opportunity to get in and make a run in the playoffs, so overall, I am fine with it.”

Tinsley added: “I agree with [McFadden and Vereen]. I think six would have been a good number but no more than seven. I think eight somewhat waters down two classifications a lot, which ours [8A] is watered down. It ends up being top-heavy because of the area but watered down nonetheless.”

Same faces in new places

Half of the six coaches are new, but none came from outside the conference. McFadden at West Charlotte came from Independence, Williams at Independence was an assistant at West Charlotte under Sam Greiner and Donald Littlejohn Jr. at Butler was also an assistant at West Charlotte. 

“It’s been easy,” Littlejohn said. “I’ve known these kids since they were freshmen, so for me it is almost like a continuation of before. I think I had it easier because I am a coach not necessarily taking over a new program because I am just kind of returning back to the same parents and same community and things like that. … For me, it has been kind of like coming back to a happy place.”

For Williams, things were different. Acclamation to the community and players were done early on, so the transition was smooth.

“I didn’t have the luxury of knowing the kids, but the kids that I have they have bought in,” he said. “We all have the same mission, so, it has been pretty easy. The biggest thing is, it is football wherever you’re at, so just getting the X’s and O’s and getting the guys around that can coach, build those relationships with the kids so things can run smoothly.”

McFadden said the West Charlotte community and alumni is something he had never seen before and the preparation has been good.

“Our team has been intact pretty much since I’ve been there,” McFadden said. “The guys that have been showing up, having the guys that showed up, it’s been good. We’re having a good summer so far. The transition has been smooth. Kids are starting to kind of get used to the coaching, the new coaching styles, and the new things and accountability things that we’re putting in place.”

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